


No One But You

by happywitch416



Series: A Living Legend [4]
Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Based on a song, Established Relationship, F/F, Feelings, Fluff, Marriage Proposal, Music, Romance, Sweet, lute playing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-14
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-03-12 09:00:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28757736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/happywitch416/pseuds/happywitch416
Summary: With life calmer in the years after Alduin's defeat, Elena finds time for old hobbies when she isn't on guard duty, parenting three girls, snuggling on her love, and hunting dragons across the province. Perhaps some songs evoke a different feeling after falling in love but they do not grant anyone the ability to be smooth when it comes to romance.
Relationships: Dovahkiin | Dragonborn/Serana, Female Dovahkiin | Dragonborn/Serana
Series: A Living Legend [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2108265
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	No One But You

Serana returned from making a delivery to Angeline’s, making potions kept her busy between travels and keeping their supply well stocked didn’t occupy enough time. Angeline was happy to have help. It wasn’t unusual for the house to be empty at this hour. Sofie helped Angeline in the shop and preparing for the day she would take it over in Angeline’s retirement. Lucia had her lessons at the Bards College and Runa had her morning lessons at the school. But it was the first she had heard music within its walls. Soft, and stumbling the lute filled the house only for a loud twang to echo off the stone followed by colorful curses. 

Serana took her new batch of ingredients downstairs before heading up to the library that filled the top of the stairs. Elena was perched on the edge of her seat, gently tuning as she softly strummed, humming along with a tune Serana could barely catch. 

Elena nodded slightly to herself a soft smile forming as her fingers started to remember how the lute worked. It had been easy once, and then set aside for battle and glory, bow strings and blood. She let her eyes drift closed taking up one of the first songs her Pa had taught her, long before she had gone near the Bards College. A soft lullaby her mother sang to her and Odara. 

Serana leaned against the bookcase and listened quietly, until the tune started for a third time. "You play beautifully." 

Elena started, cheeks flushing before letting out a self-conscious huff of laughter. The tune continued, simpler and quieter, slower as she smiled at Serana. "You are too kind." She continued at the face Serana made. "But I was passable enough to graduate with high marks. Just nothing fancy." She shrugged with a vague wave of her hand. "Torygg couldn’t justify offering me a job as a court musician and fell off his fancy throne laughing when I told him I would have been offended." 

Serana considered her a moment. "I cannot picture you in a fancy dress and playing demurely in a corner." Elena snorted. "Have you ever played? For a group?" 

Elena shook her head, fingers coming to a rest. "I have no desire to. Its." She chewed the inside of her lip a moment. "Playing is something I do because I enjoy it." She shook her head again, a small smile playing at the corner of her lips. "And one I should do more often." 

"I can leave." Serana offered softly. 

Elena's smile blossomed. "As long as you promise not to laugh, you know I don’t mind that you stay." She strummed gently, eyes twinkling. "I would have barricaded the door otherwise." 

Serana settled at the table. "You have shown me every way in and out of this place, you’d need to barricade more than the door." Elena nodded, still smiling, and settled back into quietly playing. 

Serana picked up a book she had been meaning to work on. They all had a stack on the table of ones they were reading. It was a cozy way to spend their morning and early afternoon, Serana reading while Elena played, small conversations and laughter between cups of coffee. 

Elena was reluctant to leave when it was time for her turn on the wall. Her armor was only half buckled when she leaned down to catch Serana’s lips in a soft kiss. "Thank you." Serana gave her a quizzical look and Elena gently bumped her nose against hers. "I wouldn’t have been here playing without you, not with the way my life was." 

Serana shook her head with a soft warm smile. "You give me too much credit." 

"Hm." Elena kissed her again. "You don’t take enough." 

Several weeks later, Elena came home from her duties as guard captain and woke Serana long enough to tell her it was going to be awhile before she came to bed. 

Serana’s fingers smoothed through her hair, Elena’s face was haggard, her eyes haunted. "Memory?" She nodded burying her face against Serana’s neck a moment. "Do you need me to-?" 

She shook her head and kissed her. "Just going to take the lute to the porch." She kissed her forehead, lingering a moment and letting her eyes close for a breath. "Sleep, love." 

Serana didn’t. After tossing and turning and worrying for what felt like the whole night, she slipped out of bed and pulled on a pair of soft boots before tiptoeing downstairs. She could hear quiet music before she made it down the stairs, surprised at the crack of moonlight across the stone floor. But what stopped her in her tracks was the sound of Elena’s voice. 

"Oh to linger here, Far from all I fear. Hold me unto you. No one but you." She broke off into a hum as her fingers tried to lose the melody, brows furrowing in concentration. 

Serana slipped closer, feeling both like she was intruding but wrapped in the spell of music, a softness to Elena she would have never guessed was so strong as her voice came softly again, a little higher then when she spoke, softly lilting. 

"I know tomorrow I'll be closer to you. You are the one that I want. No one but you. No one but you." A soft laugh left Elena. "Not so bad really." She took a long drink from the goblet on the table beside her, sketch book flipped open and held there with a couple of rocks, notes scrawled across the page. She studied it again, fingers gently starting to play again. "Not bad at all for a half-forgotten song." 

"Elena?" Elena shot to her feet, scrambling to block the sketchbook from view and flushing beet red. 

"Yes?" She half squeaked, cleared her throat but shook her head and gave up trying to speak. 

Serana laughed gently easing through the door. "I can go back in if you want." 

"No." Elena sighed, a smile lighting her face with a chuckle, cheeks still red. 

"Where did you learn that one?" 

Elena’s thumb crept to her other wrist pressing gently, gaze landing somewhere past Serana. "I’m not sure." Her nose twitched. "I do remember being horrifically disgusted by it at the time." 

"Really?" Serana gave her an arched look. 

Elena snorted. "It sounded fake." She added with a soft smile, meeting Serana’s eyes. "At least then it did." 

"Changed your mind?" Serana stepped closer and Elena wrapped her arms around her, pulling her close and pressing a kiss to her hair. 

"Mhm." Serana felt her smile, the way her whole body shifted with it. "You changed a lot of things." She said softly, swaying gently to music only she heard. 

Serana shook her head. "Elena..." 

"You did." She insisted gently, pulling away so she could look into her eyes. "I don’t." She huffed. "The night at the Embassy, when I told you that you and the girls-." 

"Were your world." 

Elena nodded gently. "It was true, even then. As much as I love those girls, I would have never been the mother they needed without you. I didn’t." She took a deep breath. "I didn’t realize how mind numbingly sad I was until you showed up that day, playing in the snow with them. I think." She said softly, reverently. "I think I fell in love with you then. It just took me awhile to realize it." 

"And then you ran halfway across Skyrim." 

Elena shook her head with a snort of laughter. "Here I am spilling my guts and you." Serana cut her off with a kiss. Elena laughed against her lips. "Still mean." 

"Hardly." 

"Not even a little." Her smile was so warm, Serana felt herself melting into her, how she hadn’t already. "I am only telling you the truth, my love." She gave her a gentle shake. "I wouldn’t be who I am without you." She made a face. "Wouldn’t be all over Skyrim hunting dragons either." She grinned at Serana’s snort before settling her head against Elena’s shoulder. "I love you, more than anything in this world and I’d burn it all down if you ever asked me to." 

"We just saved it from getting destroyed, let’s leave it in one piece for now." Elena chuckled softly and they were quiet for a time before Serana spoke again. "I know when I realized I had fallen in love with you." Elena stiffened just a fraction and Serana just squeezed her gently. "The day we killed Harkon, when you were walking away towards the beach." She said quietly. "It was like my whole life was leaving with you. I couldn’t let you go." 

"I didn’t get very far." Elena’s voice was the barest of whispers, gently fluffing her hair before making a strange noise. "I thought walking away was hard then." Her arms tightened around her, a crack forming in her voice. "When I went to Sovngarde, all I could think about was coming home to you." 

It had been almost two years; Elena had never talked of her time there, beyond the fact that Alduin was gone. "That was terrifying." Serana could still feel it against her skin, coming home alone and being able to do nothing but wait and reassure the girls. "I was so scared we’d never see you again." 

"I was too." Elena's eyes squeezed shut. "I didn’t think I was going to come home. Not that time." 

Serana felt tears slip down her cheeks and she pulled away from Elena with a half laugh. "I’m glad you did." 

"Me too." Her fingers were gentle against Serana’s cheek, eyes searching her face a moment. "If I.." She trailed off a moment, before smiling softly and pressing a kiss to her lips. "If I ever asked you to marry me, what would you say?" Serana pulled away blinking at her and Elena felt panic rising in her chest. "I’m not." Her arms fell from around her and she took a step back. "It doesn’t change anything, and I know you hate temples and it doesn’t matter not really because you there’s no one and nothing-". 

Her spluttering was cut off by Serana going up on her toes and kissing her senseless. "Are you asking?" 

"Maybe?" A shaky laugh left Elena. "I um. Maybe did not think this through." She huffed. "At all." 

"It doesn’t change anything." Serana said softly. "Because I’d say yes." 

Elena pulled away this time, blinking repeatedly and fighting a smile brighter than the sun. "Really?" 

"Yes." Serana laughed gently. "You aren’t getting rid of me that easily." She squeaked when Elena picked her up and spun them before kissing her. "Even if there is a temple." 

Elena snorted, nose nuzzling against her neck. "You think I have any intention of getting married in a temple? I barely tolerate temples." She made a face that tickled Serana’s skin. "Or worse, the Blue Palace." 

Serana laughed, leaning her head against Elena’s. "Sounds like we have things to talk about." 

"When have we ever ran out?" Elena asked softly and kissed her again, the moonlight shining down on them as the colors in the sky shifted and a sea breeze blew gently. The lute and sketchbook long forgotten.

**Author's Note:**

> No One But You by Erutan


End file.
